Upper Grand ENVIRONMENTAL Education Collaborative

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This is the home page that we will use for content and info about the project in geneal. So here below you will find the project's big ideas, goals, a file for accessing release time and other support, and Nov 22 meeting notes. More will follow. For a specific topic go to the side bar and click on one of the topcs there (example Learning locally) and read the content there and then you can click on the disucssion tab to comment on that topic). It will work really well once we all try it a few times. Cheers -Stan


Welcome to this exceptionally rare project, teachers leading their own inquiry into using the environment to address learning expectations across the subjects. The project itself is a collaborative endeavor of the Upper Grand District School Board and Learning for a Sustainble Future.

The projects's Big Ideas iclude:
1. The environment is an excellent context through which to create learning experiences that meet expectations from all subject areas.
2. Informed practice is changing the teacher –student relationship leading to one where the teacher takes the role of facilitator, coach, master learner with a lesser role as instructor for direct teaching.
3. Seven key strategies provide a means of advancing complex transformative practice.
4. We can do more and better together. Through professinal collaboratiaon we can advance our collective practice. Regardless of the experinece we bring, all ideas can be improved, and hence professinal inquiry allows us to build on each others expereince and questions.

Goals
Criteria
improve student learning with particular emphasis on student engagement through use of the environment as a learning context
-anecdotal
consolidate and support good learning practices that participants are currently applying
-ongoing in our discussions –see meeting notes
Understand and Apply the 7 strategies, see Connecting the Dots -start with Learning Locally
Learning Locally –outside at least once a week
Inquiry or Integration –apply at least once by next gathering at the end of March
Engage in a professional collaborative effort (as a group and act as a pilot in your host schools –how to move the agenda ahead here)
-attend bimonthly meetings
-use our wiki at least once a week
-hold a school based meeting once a month
use the various Env Learning Centres as a context for learning
tbd and may be addressed through other criteria here
overlap and address at the same time other goals that arise from our schools, board, ministry as the opportunities allow
-identify an example that applies to you
Meeting notes